I think I can partly explain the swamp speeder, though whether it's a good explanation as to why we don't have the vehicle is up to anyone's judgment, but...

Scaling up and down is possible, but mold toolings are required either way, not to mention that most 3.75" vehicles aren't a one or two piece item but rather are comprised of many individual pieces. The Titanium Series Swamp hicky is probably rather simple... 2, maybe 3 pieces. A 3.75" is going to be more pieces, thus more molds.

The second reason, it'd be bigger than the $15 pricepoint I'd think... You start getting into the issue of "will this sell even if we make it" as you start raising in the price point area. They can take risks with smaller vehicles, but as price increases so does the potential cost in a failure at retail.

A scaled up one though would inevitably be more complex than the TS one... Those are pretty simple (even the details are lacking really. I've looked them over closely and compared to similar stuff out there they're mediocre at best), but a 3.75" vehicle isn't going to be as simple overall.

The scaling up process is weird too. I don't think it's as simple as people think... Not that the sculpting process of an item is the costliest either, so I think that's a non-issue even really, but I think when things are scaled up they're really just resculpted. I've heard of machines capable of scaling up a small detail, like a headsculpt (I've heard of this done between 1:18 and 1:6 headsculpts), but that's a simple, single piece being "scaled up" (or down). I dunno that, for instance, a whole figure could be scaled up in one swoop... It'd have to be done piece-by-piece. If my understanding of the process is right... I know that's one way to do things though.

I don't think I could ever drop the 3 3/4" line completely, but I can honestly say this is the most frustrated I have been with Hasbro in quite some time. Again, like others have said, I'm not a carded collector...nor am I a loose completist, but I have bought a number of figures that I later thought "why did I get this?". I think I will be getting even more selective in what I buy, sticking mostly to Evolution/VOTC style figures, as well as other new sculpts. The "final 12" that we've gotten a look at now were easy figures for Hasbro to do, and some of them aren't too bad (Clones, astromechs, and army builders are always welcome), but they are still repacks/repaints...and an easy way out for Hasbro. This will be more acceptable to me if we find out that there is just some great new stuff on the way for the unified line, and this is just the "buffer" in between.

I think overall the news we've gotten so far from Comic-Con from Hasbro has been disappointing. Repacks, exclusives, repacked exclusives, repacked box sets, repacked vehicles, repaints, retools...re, re, re....just not a lot of truly "new" stuff coming from Hasbro..and that is what is disappointing to me. I think it makes it even more frustrating since Hasbro is essentially the "big" license for Star Wars stuff, and other, smaller licensees (Gentle Giant, Medicom Kubricks, etc.) seem to "get it" so much better. Like I said, I just hope that we get some positive news this weekend of the line for the future, and hopefully it won't be as dire as it looks right now. I don't mind some repacks, combined with new, fan-based figures, but it has to be a more even mix. No 7 new figures to 31 repacks from the OTC, and no 15 straight repaints from the end of the ROTS line. They are ok, but spread them out Hasbro. I do hold out hope that there is more good news to come, either this weekend or in the coming months, regarding the "unified" line...but if this trend continues to be what we've seen so far, I actually do see the line dying off quickly, something I wouldn't have imagined coming so soon a year ago.

Toward the end of the saga line is when I stopped collecting one of everything...all I collect now are troopers...just can't get small army building out of me yet...that cut back helps with my GG bust/statue and newly formed Koto collections.

I agree with Dressel... I am kinda let down by all the rehashes, but for the most part they are of army builders. I can live with that (for now). Clones, Wookiees and more Clones. An army-builder's dream.

I agree with Dressel... I am kinda let down by all the rehashes, but for the most part they are of army builders. I can live with that (for now). Clones, Wookiees and more Clones. An army-builder's dream.

The clones are fine, they'll sell no matter what. But rehashing figures that aren't even moving as it is? Army builder or no, there's tons of Wookies and Neimoidians everywhere I look, regardless of which side of the border it is. Mixing these in with the basic 1-24 re-releases is what will make it difficult to get those clones we all want.

I'm not suggesting there's nothing good out there, but how hard will it be to come by Bly and Gree? For many of us, not so easy because of the other crap activity that Hasbro is doing. I still like the stuff, by and large, but they aren't making it even remotely easy and I shouldn't have to burn gas every week just to find a ******* toy. I don't mind going to a toy store, but they're all clogged with Neimoidians, Wookies, Jedi, Pilots and other crap that they're repacking?!?

I guess all I really want is for them to actually grasp the market fully, not in some half-assed we don't give a **** kind of way they seem to keep doing. Believe me, had you been at the Q&A at C3 you'd have seen the smugness by and large. They love the ass kissing and can't handle criticism. Force Battlers have more new sculpts than the basic line?

Believe me, had you been at the Q&A at C3 you'd have seen the smugness by and large. They love the ass kissing and can't handle criticism.

Hasbro (or back in the beginning of POTF2, Kenner) has always been like this to a certain extent with the SW line. If it wasn't smugness it was disdain and spite from the SW team/reps toward the people buying the figures/vehicles/dolls/whatever. Sometimes this was thinly veiled, but other times it was much more blatant.

I've made several jokes about the Hasbro Random Response Generator, and it's based on the fact that between 1996 and 1999, Hasbro had the exact same responses to every single question that was asked of them, with very little variance. No matter how respectfully delivered, no matter what medium of asking it (email, in person, letters), Hasbro always threw the same responses out as a way of "answering" the question.

One of my most memorable Hasbro "incidents" was when a young lady was appointed by Hasbro to, more or less, be the SW brand's representative online and at conventions. The major SW collecting forum at that point was the RASSC newsgroup on Usenet, so she began posting/reading there as part of her job description. This lasted a little over a few weeks, because once she realized it wasn't going to be the Land of Happy Fluffy Bunnies with Strawberry Scented Farts and that it was actually a community of people who wanted real answers, she turned tail and left.

(It should be noted, however, that some less scrupulous people began to attack the Hasbro rep's physical attributes and personal life, which I found distasteful and irrelevant. So, while her unwillingness to accept criticism of Hasbro was one part of it, the personal attacks were, sadly, another part.)

Every Hasbro online rep since then has been of a similar mold. Noncommital or vague answers to questions are the norm, and have been for as far back as I can remember. Certain sites toe the company line a little too well (you know what site I refer to) in a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" type of arrangement. As long as nothing bad is ever said about the Big H, everything is just fine. But the moment you ask a real question that doesn't involve Boba Fett guns or "You guys rule!", Hasbro and its reps become evasive, silent, or at worst downright hostile and rude (see JediMAC's conversation with them last SDCC).

Hasbro is, more or less, unwilling to recognize, correct, or learn from their mistakes. In the ten years of doing modern SW toys, their case assortment flaws have been repeatedly pointed out to them, and they continue to use the same type of system, and it always results in a glut. The only line that did not use their typical system was the Power of the Jedi line, and with the exception of that Ellors Madak wave, the pegwarmer problem practically dried up. More than that, Hasbro is not even willing to admit they make mistakes. They are always looking to place the blame on retail or collectors or someone else; Hasbro is NEVER WRONG.

Too many pegwarmers? Retail's fault for overordering. Poor case pack ratios have nothing to do with it.

Having problems finding a figure? Retail's fault for not ordering enough. Poor case pack ratios have nothing to do with it.

No Vehicles? Retail won't support them (but buy the new MF for the third time, okay guys?).

12 Inch line cancelled? Lack of retail and collector interest. Poor character selection and a rapid decrease in quality has nothing to do with it.

And, trust me, by Toy Fair 2006, Force Battlers, Attacktix, the Target Micro Collection, and Jedi Force will be long gone and Hasbro will blame the retailers, instead of admitting that they made poor choices and made total crap that nobody wanted. People will be complaining about their inability to find the various Clone repaints that Hasbro got around to about three months too late, but it's retail's fault for not ordering enough (when their pegs were already crammed full with Neimoidian Warriors that Hasbro is *still* shipping in upcoming cases), or it's our fault for "not hunting enough." The rumored 2 inch Unleashed line will fall flat on its face, and if the line makes it past the summer of 2006 at all (I'm referring to all SW stuff, outside of the Sideshow dolls), I'll be very surprised.

Does anyone else find this crazed additude from Hasbro nutty? I mean, come on it is JUST toys, not national security. Get over yourself and make some toys people will buy. Don't you LIKE money?! MOney is good, you should want more. Give me something I'll buy 100 times and you'll have more money.

I certainly won't drop the 3 3/4 line. But my completist standards have dropped considerably since the OTC repack line started.

I now could care less about repacks or repaints - only significant paint changes like various clone troopers where the paint change makes it into a technically different character interest me. I'll pick that kind of stuff up regularly. Same thing with head swaps ala the imperial officers.

But if they want to add some paint detailing or weathering to some character and slap it in a new package - screw it.

I'm not interested in grabbing my 4th Ponda Boba or my 5th Greedo or what not. It's getting disturbingly old when there are so many new figures out there waiting to be made.

I am, for the record, okay with improving on older inferior sculpts - i.e. that Skiff guard Lando was great.

My collecting of 3 3/4" figures has been seriously deminished. I only collect Original Triology figures and Jedi Knights. If it is a re-released figures (Most of the OTC line) I don't purchase it unless it is an army builder (Stormtoopers).

Logged

I have been told to go to hell; well at least I will know everyone there!

I just thought I'd point out some unintentional humor on the "other site" this morning. In their latest Q&A update, RS.com had a chance to sit down with the Hasbro reps at SDCC and ask some questions of them for the edification of the RS readers. Now, before I start, let me just say that I am not attacking RS or Mark for this; this is merely to point out how Hasbro likes to toe the company line no matter what.

The first thing is that EVERY ANSWER HASBRO GAVE says the same thing they've been saying for years, that being vague methods of avoiding the question, and in many cases, outright lies. Here's a few gems that made me laugh and cringe:

-Unleashed as a 7 inch line is over, although "the possibility exists for more in the future."

-Attacktix is a success and is selling out all over the place.

-Attacktix, Force Battlers, and Jedi Force will all be returning in the new year

-Hasbro is, predictably, aware of the demand for a figure of Commander Cody and there exists the possibility that he will be done in the future.

-Hasbro is keeping a close eye on what is and isn't selling at retail and once retail completes its fall resets, everything will be a utopia in the SW aisle again and nobody will have any problems finding the new figures and/or vehicles.

So, again, Hasbro doesn't really answer any questions, denies that their secondary lines are bombing (while bragging about how well they are doing and how they're coming back with more next year), sidesteps a question about the most requested figure right now (Cody), and tries to make it seem like they are actually cognizant of what is or isn't selling, while they crank out more Wookiee Warrior and Neimoidian Warrior repaints for the end of the year.

It's not surprising though. Like I mentioned before Hasbro wants to put themselves in the most positive light as possible. Everything is just fine and all that jazz. They are not going to admit to screwing up anything or that lines are not selling well, etc. If they say anything negative it will spun away from their company. It will either be the retailers' fault, non-collector interest, or something along those lines. Never, "oooops we botched up there didn't we? Sorry for that." For now they are bent on trying to sell this stuff and say it's fantastic or in their words "awesome!" They probably have had a good year overall and they will tell you about that. Hence their decisions are right on que.

That is true, any blame is often (or always?) shifted elsewhere. I really think it would go a long ways if Hasbro would show up to one of these Q and A's and just do a simple "our bad" on a few things. I think it would improve many collector's opinions of them and their company if they could/would do something like that. I suppose it isn't exactly common these days to hear a company say they screwed up, and it might be unreasonable to think that they would, but if it were possible it might go a long ways in their collector-company relations. Whether they want to admit it or not, we (collectors) for the most part are their future...and they know it. It would be better for everyone if things could just be straightforward, and if both sides could come together on certain points. For example, I think many of us will admit that repacks are probably a bit of a necessary evil...and to be honest, I am sure they do help Hasbro improve their "profit", so I don't necessarily have a problem with it...within reason. I think many people would feel this way. Heck, if you want to do repacks...just poll the collectors...we'll pick 'em for you . Anyways, hopefully the Q and A today will go well, and what is coming up for 2006 will be something that makes the community happier.